Third Time's the Charm
by DollieMay 19
Summary: This is what happens when you take a step on the wild side and listen to your fortune cookie... SxM.
1. Part One

Disclaimer: Nothing from Hamtaro is mine. That means no characters, no settings, nothing. Gosh, the more I say it, the more jealous I am that I didn't think up any of this awesomely cute stuff! Well… I did think of the story, but that's it. So… That I own. Nothing else. Haha.

AN: Hi, everyone! So, yeah. I got tired of working on yet another new fan fiction (that I will update hopefully soon) and decided to work on a few ideas that have been stewing in my head for a while now to pass the time. Never really had the time to work on anything, let alone any of my new work, so I figured to take advantage of the weekend and get to work finally. I really hope you all enjoy this! I know, it's definitely not the best thing out there, but I'm trying. So, it would be great if you could review what you think of it and how I could make things better in the future. Or if you're a ghost-reader like many of us are, it already means so much that you're reading my stuff. So… Keep on reading and I'll keep on writing! (Slowly but surely…) Thanks again, all. Thank you indeed!

Oh yeah. And P.S. They're ham-humans this time. x3

Third Time's the Charm

Chapter One: Part One- Scenes From a Chinese Restaurant

Her elbow was carelessly squished onto the red and yellow decorated table in the bustling Chinese eatery that night. The delicate peach skin at the bend of her arm wrinkled up and turned a deep hue of pink. The male friend accompanying her had both of his elbows in hiding under the table of their booth, propping his arms on it at the wrist. He was amused at how cute her face looked with her one hand scrunching up a cheek to hold up her drooping head. It gave him an idea of how she would look like without freckles almost.

With her other hand, the young strawberry blonde woman poked around in her left over soy sauce with a bitten-up chopstick. She was busy submerging her fortune cookie slip in it in dismay. She'd gotten the same prediction from her last fortune cookie and it was still in the process of coming true, if it would ever at all. She was too cowardly to make it happen, anyway. Someday, she vowed to herself, she'd become bold enough to do it... Oh, she could just kick herself for being so naïve sometimes. Her friend has neatly folded his tiny paper in half again and left it on his tray.

At a glance, passersby would mistake these two as a couple. But if one were to actually look closely, it was easy to tell the polar opposites were only on a friendly basis, as unmild as it was and despite how the girl wished it wasn't so. Something incredible about his eyes and how kind the soul he possessed made her long for the young man more and more each day. But the same amounts of fear and common sense kept her from pursuing him. They were destined and damned to be mere friends.

There was a silence amongst the pair for a short while, and because both of them were finished eating, the young man took a look at his watch and jumped a bit at seeing what time it already was. He promptly stood up.

"Well, are you ready, Sandy?" he asked as politely as he could after being startled in such a way.

She poked up her head and nodded. "Yep-P."

"Alright. Let's head out then." He smiled.

"I have to like, wash my hands first, Max. They're totally sticky from the orange chicken you flung at me." She glared in a teasing way, laughing to herself. She knew full well that her friend hadn't meant to do that, that it happened due to a fluke in how he'd held his utensils instead.

Maxwell's expression was strained and his eyes darted around subtly until they landed on the packets laying atop their table. He swiftly grabbed one, holding it out to offer to her.

"Hey. They have moist towelettes right here that you can use."

Sandy shook her head. She knew he was in much of a hurry, but was never one to be a push-over either. If she wanted to wash her hands, she'd do it.

"It'll only take a sec.," she promised, jogging away to the restroom to make it look like she was actually hustling.

She didn't only wash her hands, but used the bathroom as well. It was a strange reflex she had that every time she was in the presence of a toilet she thought to use it just in case she wouldn't be able to later on. Sometimes she really did have to go, but mostly it was that reflex.

As Sandy turned the squeaky handles of the sink to stop it with her wet hands, a silly idea came into her head. She brushed it off and cranked on the paper towel dispenser. All the while, the impulse stayed. Finally, she decided to walk back over to the sink and it was there she fiddled around in her jeans pocket to retrieve her wallet. Slipping out Maxwell's school picture from the year before and holding it up next to herself, Sandy looked in the somewhat smudged-up mirror.

"I love you, Sandy," she mumbled in her best impression of Maxwell without moving her lips much.

"Aww… And I love you too, Maxy…" she cooed as herself.

Her face smiled, but her heart sank. It was an insane little game of pretend that she played but it was the only thing that kept her in her mind. She personally didn't think that nineteen was too old to be able to make believe.

Sandy thought it was unfair and almost cruel how the gods didn't make him love her back when she cared so deeply for the boy. Most of her was ready to cry, but some of her actually wanted to laugh at such a typical occurrence. Only this kind of thing could happen to her.

With a weak frown and reluctance, she put the small photo with its crinkled up corners away, fixed her simple ponytail, and stepped out of the restroom.

Reminding herself that she'd taken much longer than agreed upon, she crept over to Maxwell timidly.

"Sorry I took so long," she peeped with a blush.

"Oh, it's alright," he replied with a pleasant smile.

Sandy growled to herself. Why did he always have o be so nice to her? ! It would have made it a lot easier to not be so in love with him had he just yelled at her or impatiently stormed off, leaving her there. Then she wouldn't have to be in such a predicament!

Bobbing her head up and down a few times numbly, she decided to forget about it and begin a conversation about something else instead.

"Like, how much was the bill?" was her question. It came out easy-going and candidly, but it was really important to her.

"I already paid for it. Don't worry."

Now he was even covering her tab? This generosity had to stop.

"Oh no, Max!" she cried out, biting her bottom lip. It didn't matter to her if people looked over because of the volume of her voice, even though she did tone it down. "At least let me pay you back for my food."

Maxwell looked at her calmly and talked in that manner. "It's no problem, Sandy. I got it. Just think of it as my treat, okay? Now let's go."

Sighing, the young woman followed her friend out. She made sure to get to the door before he did, though so that he couldn't open it for her too.

To Be Continued...


	2. Part Two

Disclaimer: I do not have any ownership of anything from Hamtaro. All of that belongs to somebody else. I'm no different than any of you guys! XD

AN: (is too lazy to write out the whole thing again today lol) Hello, readers! Here's the second chapter! That came fast-ish? You bet it did! It's been a long time since I've updated within a week and gosh it feels great! And well... Really hope you're liking this so far! Because that's my main goal. Providing entertainment and pleasure to all who graciously take the time to look at my work. So thanks again, everybody! Will update soon hopefully! So… Without further ado, here you go! Enjoy!

And a special thanks to Awesomewriter123 for his review! To answer you, no. This is strictly a Sandy-Maxwell centric fic and no other characters will be involved. Sorry! And, to explain a little to you all, the reason Sandy's sort of OOC is because she's older here. In the series, I took it as they were very young, so I matured the characters a bit. Sorry if I did it too much! Hope I did a better job this time. (shrugs) Never said I was great, or even awesome like some of y'all. Anyway... Here it is! Chapter two. Thank you so much again!

Chapter Two: Part Two- Jackets and Threshholds

Once out in the open, busy streets, Sandy shivered. She swore under her breath to herself for not bringing at least a lightweight jacket with her even though she knew how could it would be when night fell. She'd just been in that much of a rush when Maxwell said they could go out for dinner together that she'd completely forgotten to snatch one on the way out. Now she was regretting doing this, watching as the goose bumps on her arms multiplied. The girl closed her eyes as they passed a pulsing streetlight and thought about warmer places. The beach during a fireworks show, near the campfire singing songs, in Maxwell's arms… All except for the last thing she'd done this summer with him and their other friends. Again, she wanted to cry and laugh.

Maxwell let out a contented sigh and watched as his breath puffed up in front of his face. He fooled around with his breath and the air and pretended not to notice Sandy looking at him. It was a lovely, somber evening in early winter and he was enjoying every bit of it. It made things a lot more enjoyable knowing his close friend was there as well. Finally, after Sandy had averted her awkwardly steady gaze, he looked at her and immediately saw her shivering. A guilty feeling overwhelmed him for not recognizing she was this bare sooner and he began to instinctively take off his coat at the sleeve. He stopped, embarrassed, as soon as she looked back at him and gave her friend a smile. Maxwell's own smile appeared unsure of itself.

Somebody had to say something, Sandy concluded. But what, was the question. The young lady figured to be cutesy and just state the obvious.

"Wow! It's like, _freezing_ out here!" she exclaimed with a faint giggle, rubbing her hands together and blowing on them for humorous theatrics. She had no idea about the growing shame Maxwell was feeling, otherwise she'd not over-done it like that.

He smiled instead of frowned, though, and shed his coat at once for her as he'd been planning. His friend was almost taken aback at such a gesture, but seemed gracious enough this time for accepting the favor.

"Here. Take this," he told her softly, warmth in his eyes while he handed his coat to her. The leather it was made of ran smoothly, straight out of his fingers' grasp as she took it, wrapping the thing about herself.

A hysterical giggle left the girl and the cheerfully perplexed expression Maxwell had given her as a reaction that said he wanted her to explain.

"It's sooo big!" she continued in her giddiness. "You can totally fit in here too, ya know."

The words had left her chapped lips before she could put a stop to them. In horror, Sandy realized she'd just flirted with him, opening the gate for the boy to either passade back which could possibly lead to something else, or simply plain ignore it and deflate her. Each way, no matter what, it was a lose-lose situation.

A playful grin slapped itself on Maxwell's face. His cheeks burned, but his flushing was luckily hidden by the minor windburn he'd started to get on their brisk, sort of frantic stroll thus far.

"Do you only want a reason to get close to me?" he chuckled, raising an eyebrow. It was half-way between joking and flirting. Sandy had no clue what one it was more of in her shock. That was completely not the Maxwell she'd gotten to know and love, yet she didn't mind the tweak in his conduct. It was pretty cute to her, Sandy admitted deep down.

Massively blushing, she then not only wore his coat but a scowl to hide her infinite abashment.

"No!" she yelped, swatting at him with a smirk. Her emotions softened. "It's really cold. I like, don't want you to get sick cuz you were out in this weather…"

"I don't usually get cold easily." The man didn't want to make his companion feel bad for receiving the coat, leaving himself with none. And he most certainly did not want her worrying about him. But he could see that Sandy was disheartened anyway because she looked down at her shoes and the dirty pavement they tread on with a broken smile.

"Ohh…" she murmured. Maxwell paused and grabbed at the vacant side of the garment, scooting closer in sympathy.

"Well, I suppose…" he started with a kidding sigh, making her uncontrollably beam. She resembled the Cheshire Cat in a way like that. He laughed and shrugged. "Kill two chickies with one stone."

"Oh, Maxwell…" Sandy dreamily exhaled. She felt as if she were living in a dream with him at that moment. She went into a dream. With his arm around her shoulders for the very first time, she could then die happy.

_... Chilly- No. Frigidly cold, it would be- that night. The stars tucked in beneath a quilt of gray-navy clouds in their nest of a black sky, the cold making everything still. It would be a night similar to this. Only better…_

_Red- No. A rosy, rosy pink would be spread across their cheeks and noses as they'd stare lovingly into each other's eyes. The windows to their connected souls. Those same cheeks and noses would meet by brushing together, nuzzling, giving to and getting pleasure from one another until the couple would finally, tenderly, kiss. How amazing a kiss they'd share! _

_Then, Maxwell would unusually pull away, making Sandy pout in confusion. To her surprise and reassurance, he'd bend down on his left knee- no, his right- no, left sounded good. He would be knelt on his left knee and present to her a stunningly gorgeous diamond crested gold ring. And in her twinkling watery eyes he would look and flawlessly say…_

"_Will you marry me?"_

_And she would sob, squealing out a 'yes', leaping into his arms and make love to him right there. On the remote flower-cloaked hill. Well, no. Maybe they wouldn't go __**that**__ crazy, but something closely as romantic would happen afterwards._

Sandy just hadn't thought that far due to either a lack of time or too much humiliation for even fabricating such things. This time she had ceased because of the latter reason again. That was usually the case.

She and Maxwell weren't even dating and still she relentlessly sucked him into her outlandish alternate reality where they were. Dating and then some... She was just happy that she hadn't started picking baby names, though 'Starlette' appealed to her quite a bit for a little girl. Sandy spat in disgust at her own behavior, but nonetheless breathed out a sigh of joy. False joy, undeserving joy for violating the oblivious Maxwell like that, but it was still joy. With her fair face sprinkled with red around her nose and a fantasizing look lingering in her eyes, she realized that she'd only imagined the whole thing, as every other time.

That lonely feeling came back. The engulfing agony. He was not hers and she wasn't his. Or perhaps she was his after all. She would always be his...

Maxwell watched Sandy's every sad movement and wondered what had changed her mood so quickly, what was going through the preoccupied woman's mind.

To Be Continued…


	3. Part Three

Disclaimer: Again, same as every other time, I have no rights to owning Hamtaro, any characters in it, or settings as well. That is all.

AN: Hey, everybody! Gosh! I'm really sorry about the looooong wait! Sure, it's a lot faster of an update than most other times with me, but still. I've been trying to type this thing for a week now and I'm so happy to finally get it up! I really hope the wait was worth it and that you all really enjoy yourselves while reading! It means the world to me that you even read! So, thank you everyone again for being so loyal and sticking with my stories! You're all great! ;)

Chapter Three: Part Three- Third Time's the Charm

Nearly five minutes had passed since then, maybe more, and the two friends were approaching their destination of the bus station. It was funny, but since they'd stopped talking, the outdoors seemed significantly colder. Neither minded really, they were so focused on the other.

Sandy's rapid switch in mood bothered Maxwell. The atypical goofy smile that used to be the shape of his mouth was now a perfectly straight line. Close to a frown, but not quite. The young reddish-blonde woman didn't look up to notice him noticing.. Alas, another one of life's circles.

He couldn't stand it anymore. The questions had become too overpowering and too many. His friend was fine just moments ago! It was such a wonder to him how she could be so unhappy during an enchanting night like this. A lovely girl not enjoying an evening as lovely as she…? This was too utterly strange for Maxwell. A fear grew inside of him that he'd done something wrong, some act that he didn't recognize he'd done that made her so sullen. He had to find out. Sandy was never one to be so out of sorts.

Coughing to clear his throat, he checked hi watch to see how they were doing on time. Just the weak hack would have sufficed to lure Sandy's attention, but his glance at the watch also got her to look at him. Their eyes met. It was the opportune time.

Maxwell wore a faint simper on his concerned face, not peeling his blue eyes from here sad ones.

"Is there something wrong, Sandy?"

Her heart almost skipped at him asking this. It was a happy skip, a miniscule jolt of glee feeling that she was cared for and worried about. Sandy knew it wasn't a good thing and that this didn't make her a nice girl, but everyone has had to have felt such things. She was only human, and as a human, tended to be selfish. But she decided to turn it down and replied in such a noncomplex way:

"Ah, no." A spontaneous sigh left her, making Maxwell doubt this statement even more. "Why?" she chose to interrogate in return.

"You're just looking peculiar, is all. Is everything okay?"

Now his distress was killing her. She felt as if she would drown in this compassion at any given second. The two's eyes had been dancing with each other this whole time and Sandy finally ended it by looking downwards once more. She averted her eyes because she could not lie to him with so much intention. She could not pass a fib right to his face. He was always good to her yet she wasn't doing the same that night. It was a little white lie that was partly the truth, but it still felt wrong.

"Umm… Yeah. It's just, I've like, gotten this fortune once before…" she trailed off. She blushed at the silliness which just flowed from her wobbling mouth.

Macwell couldn't help but laugh. Here he'd thought something major was troubling his friend and it turned out it was an insignificant issue with her fortune cookie! Of course, he remembered to take into consideration how terribly superstitious she was, but the entire ordeal brought a smile back to his face.

"Well, third time's the charm!" he exclaimed cheerfully, attempting to raise her spirits. This seemed to work since Sandy began to giggle herself. He placed his hand in his pocket and laced his fingers around two reasonably-sized packets. The crumpling noises they made were practically muted by the rest of the city's racket, luckily.

"Thanks, Max." How bright the grin she wore.

"What does it say anyway?" he casually pondered.

"Uhh… I dunno. I kinda like, threw it out," she replied sheepishly as her cheeks burned in embarrassment. The young man chuckled friendlily.

"Then, what _did _it say?"

Sandy's eyes broadened subtly. She couldn't possibly tell _him_ what it said! That would be too mortifying! The situation was already awkward enough. Thus, instead of reciting the fortune she'd already remembered by heart, she made one up on the spot.

"Ehh… It was like, something like 'Your hard work will soon pay off'."

Of course it was fake, but it sounded like what a generally generic fortune cookie would say. Maxwell smiled thoughtfully, making Sandy's face mimic his because he'd bought it.

"I don't see why you're so disheartened by that." His tone was soft and almost fatherly. Sandy shrugged, half-smiling.

"Just am."

It was quiet once again between the two until they reached the bus station.

"Well, looks like we got here just on time anyway!" Maxwell beamed. He wouldn't have been as glad had they been late as a cause by Sandy, but he usually would have been nice about it. He had always been such a stickler for time.

Sandy nodded and smiled as well, giving no verbal response.

"Mn," she eventually hummed.

"Let's go, " Maxwell quickly ushered his friend through the doors, letting her in first not only to be a gentleman, but because he knew how pleased Sandy was every time she got the window seat. He supposed that was being chivalrous too, but categorized them differently despite this.

"Thanks," Sandy peeped.

The young man shed his half of the coat then and handed it to her.

"It's too warm in here for me. You can have it all now," he explained.

From her forehead to her chin and creeping down her neck, was an immense blush that took over Sandy's features. She looked up at him, bemused.

"Thanks," squeaked she again. Maxwell hadn't only given her the sleek leather coat, but a wink to go with it. The duo didn't speak for some while again after that.

The only thing that seemed to rip Sandy's eyes from the foggy window she'd been staring out of for the past ten minutes was the startle of getting poked in the thigh by Maxwell's searching hand as it wriggled around in her (really his) left coat pocket.

She immediately turned to him with a puzzled glower. He flushed lightly and glanced down apologetically.

"I didn't think that was you, Sandy. I'm really sorry…"

The girl has already brushed it off.

"Really, it's sooo fine. You said it was just an accident, so like, no problem! I know you totally didn't mean it. Like, just… Be more careful next time, or I'll think you're doing it on purpose." She laughed, sticking out her tongue playfully. In fact, she actually did want him to touch her like that- and mean it.

Maxwell toyed with his hands and whatever the noisy thing that was in them nervously. Sandy tilted her head to one side in curiosity and stared at his fidgety fingers, catching a glimpse of a shiny, clear object. It was a plastic of sorts.

Maxwell saw her watching and decided to reveal what was cradled in his big, folded hands.

There were a pair of fortune cookies and he promptly offered one to the smirking Sandy.

"What's that look for?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"It's just like, so random! Plus, you like, never do that! _I _usually do!" Sandy responded through her giggles. Her stomach ached a bit from her laughter and for once she took something from Maxwell without feeling guilty.

With no hesitation, the young woman plucked her cookie from his spread out palm and tore into the plastic. Maxwell ripped his open more slowly and didn't get crumbs all over the place by just frantically going about so like Sandy had.

Each broke their treat in half, Sandy down the middle long ways and Maxwell down the center conventionally.

Maxwell slid the paper out and thereupon read it. He seemed to always have to be reading something. He took a bite of his cookie and faced Sandy, smiling fondly at what the message had said.

Sandy, as always, had to be different. She scarffed down her cookie before even looking at her fortune because she loved the suspense, the anticipation of what lied in store for her. Not much long after she'd swallowed did she unfold the little piece of paper and start to read it.

She didn't need to see the rest beyond the first two words. She already knew that line perfectly.

The nineteen-year-old could feel her dessert crawling right back up as she tried to control her eyes from spilling out all over her fair face or bulging out any more than they were then. Her bottom lip quivered worse than the rest of her trembling body, but not nearly as severely as her racing heart.

Sandy began to perspire a drenching sweat and her friend, who had been watching the now feeble girl all this time, frowned in deep concern at seeing her pallor. For someone who was so strong, she looked so terribly weak. In fact, she didn't even look like his Sandy at all that moment.

"You're sweating," he pointed out dumbly to her. "A-are you too warm in here?"

She widened her mouth to speak, but the short quake of the bus when it came to a stop interrupted her. Her glistening eyes darted about as people lined up in the aisle. Maxwell's eyes stayed affixed on her.

"J-j-just leave! I-I'll tell you when we get off…"

She doubted she could keep that promise, and Maxwell seemed to notice this, but he nodded in comply anyway.

To Be Continued…

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Throw you off? Just because this story's based around threes doesn't mean that there should be only three chapters! Heehee. Oh, I love keeping you all in suspense! Thanks for reading again! Hope you stay around for the next chapter! Bye!

Oh! And Happy (Late) Halloween!!


	4. Part Four Gift

Disclaimer: Maybe Santa will give me the rights to Hamtaro for Christmas… Maybe… But until then, it's not mine!

_Author's Note: Happy Holidays, all!! This is my personal gift to you so I hope you like it! I put a lot of work into this, so that's why it took a while. Been meaning to type this up for the past couple weeks, but decided to wait to give you all a surprise! I wish you all a wonderful holiday and an equally great New Year! Enjoy! This is for you!! Thank you so much for reading! I appreciate it!!_

Chapter Four: Part Four- Never Been in Love

Sandy was one of the fastest people to get back up on their feet that the leisurely Maxwell knew, yet she took twice as long to stand as he did this time.

His hand reached for her trembling one in case she needed the support (which seemed to be the case) but she recoiled it.

"I'll be fine," the young woman murmured. The tone carried in her voice haunted Maxwell, and bumbled around in his head. It stayed with him. It stayed with him and his eyes stayed with her as the two scaled the bus and walked down the steps.

"Sandy…" Maxwell's voice trilled once her shaky foot had touched the pavement he stood on. She looked up at his wary face. "You're worrying me…" he explained. Her adamant look changed into a thoughtful one and he took her hand. She gave his fingers a squeeze as a sign that she would be fine.

"Then don't let me worry you."

The young man nodded, keeping his head down and smiled weakly when he heard something which resembled a giggle from Sandy. It was half-hearted, but reassurance somehow, so he welcomed it.

His tiny smile disappeared when he returned his gaze to her, causing the girl to halt. The navy eyes he had flashed in great disappointment and apprehension. He sighed.

"Hm?" Sandy asked through a closed, tight mouth.

"That's what I want to know…" His friend tilted her head to the side innocently, having the clear idea of what he was talking about. "You said you would tell me what was bothering you." Maxwell quickly gazed into her frantic eyes. "What's still bothering you…"

They continued walking until Sandy had spotted a bench. She pulled as his sweater's olive green sleeve, which was beginning to dampen from the snow collecting on it. Maxwell snapped his head at her and watched as she pointed to the resting place.

"We don't have time for that, Sandy. I have to get to class." There was no meanness in his words, but the stern way he conveyed himself infuriated Sandy.

"Who the Hell like, goes to night school and then like, takes regular classes during the day too?" She had not meant for it to come out so brisk. And she already knew by now of Maxwell's fixed plan of getting his master's degree as fast as he could so that he could move on to earning a doctorate, but it seemed dreadfully inconvenient at the moment he doing so.

"Sandy…" His heaved sigh that told the young woman he was growing tired of her behavior. "We've been through this at least a hundred times. I've told you my dreams about college since the eighth grade! You… you really should knew this by now…" His voice was calm and not accusatory, but Sandy could feel a bit of his pain from deep within it.

"Oh. I should know?" Her eyes narrowed at him. She stopped. Maxwell followed suit and halted with her, checking the time on his wrist, giving her an impatient yet serene look. She decided to start walking again.

"Yes, you should."

"Well, I do know, Max! I totally might not know _everything_ in the whole universe like _you_, but I know that! And I like, this it's… really stupid." She added the part at the end meekly and without meaning it. She scrunched up her nose and this time Maxwell didn't think it was cute.

"You think it's stupid…" he repeated numbly.

"Well, no, but…" Sandy stammered, embarrassed at herself.

"But what, Sandy?" Maxwell's voice was drenched with sorrow in his deflated state.

"N-nothing!"

It was quiet between the two for yet another time that night, and it remained quiet until they were to wait at a crosswalk during a green light which seemed to last as grudgingly long as that evening had up to this point. Sandy watched the cars speeding by so she wouldn't have to face Maxwell and risk making things even more awkward with him. That was when he decided to open his mouth, finally breaking the silence.

"Sandy? Are you mad at me? Did I do something to bother you at dinner?" He asked this timidly.

"No…" she replied. He may have driven her crazy from time to time, but he never once did anything to ruin her day. In fact, he almost always made her days brighter. She felt like such a sham right then.

"Then what?"

"Well…" she began. She tried glancing up at him for comfort by only got fear risen within her instead. Sandy could already sense the silliness about to come out of her mouth from the tingling on her tongue and the rattling in her chest. All the while, Maxwell kept on a patient expression. "I… I got that fortune again and…" she trailed off, figuring she didn't have to complete her sentence.

Maxwell stared at her, shaking his head. A twinkle appeared in the corner of his eye.

"I told you third time's the charm…" His teeth showed when he smiled.

"Yeah…" the young woman breathed somberly.

"So, what's the problem then?"

Sandy looked over her shoulder and peered upwards, deciding that she should simply come out with it before the little man on the sign turned green. She inhaled slowly, deeply, and was angry they had stopped directly under a streetlight for it didn't hide her blushing face. It even illuminated it as she turned back to face him once more.

She closed her eyes tightly, with her wits scattered about her, and shook. It wasn't due to the cold, since Maxwell's coat was rather comfortable, but it was because of her uncanny nervousness.

'_Just do it!!_' her mind shrieked. Sandy trembled and with a slightly gagged sound to her voice blurted:

"I… I love you." The mixed blonde's eyes opened, meeting with his, and they filled instinctively with tears.

Maxwell didn't say anything and his slender face paled.

Since he didn't respond, she continued as it he had not heard or had possibly misunderstood her, despite the shocked appearance of his face.

"I'm _in love _with you, Maxwell," she said desperately, locking her misty eyes on him, hoping so much he would reply with a similar response.

The boy gulped over her sniffling.

"Uh…" Perhaps he just needed a little push to do it.

Sandy took a few steps nearer to him and he paces a few back. Her eyes began to sear from holding in her tears as she hic-upped, trying to go on.

"I've never been in love before… But I'm pretty sure this is how it feels," she mumbled her thought aloud through quivering , smiling lips and chattering teeth. Her face neared his to a close proximity while she stared intensely into his fearful eyes, turning her head to the side so their lips could acquaint. He stepped away even more, simply taken aback. Sandy bent her neck down, heartbroken.

"I-I-I-I… Y-you… Well, I…" Maxwell uttered unintelligently. She waited until he had regained his composure. It took two light changes, but before the traffic would have to stop again, he slurred gently, "Let's talk about this later. Maybe tomorrow. I don't know right now. I… I have to get to the school soon." He headed for the street sluggishly, not taking his still surprised eyes off of her again as she allowed her tears to finally streak down her face, crying quietly. He then wore a sympathetic frown. For once, his heart felt the exact same pain as hers did. "Don't do this to me, please, Sandy. We'll gat this all sorted out really soon, I promise. But I have to go now."

"Okay", she mouthed, covering her face with her hands pretending to dry it. Maxwell reluctantly spun around and began to leave. Sandy stood still and watched for the longest time on that corner his blurry form until it was too far away to see anymore. She promptly collapsed on a nearby bench and sobbed.

Maxwell made it to the university at last and was terribly short on time. If he calculated things right, it would take him another three minutes to cross the campus, one to go up the stairs and down the hall, and half a minute to find his seat before the class would begin. The time was eight fifty five, leaving him just enough time.

That was the bare extent of how complex any calculations could be for him to be able to solve at that moment. The young man's focus was completely on Sandy, his poor little friend.

Friend. The word simply struck Maxwell as odd now. He didn't understand why. He fiddled around in his pocket with a thin slip of paper as he practically jogged onwards.

His watch went off right as he reached the door. The professor, upon seeing his still ghostly face, dismissed his late arrival. Maxwell had achieved himself an excuse without meaning to. Immediately, he sat down and pulled out his notebook half-heartedly. The older man at the podium up front usually had a very boisterous, distinct voice. That night, though, it seemed he was mumbling in an unclear whisper to Maxwell. It was exceedingly hard for him to concentrate.

"Mr. Edwards?" was the only thing he could hear well from the professor. "U-uh, yes, sir?"

"Would you begin our reading on page twenty-nine, please?"

Maxwell nodded and opened his book immediately after seeing everyone else's books had already been opened for several minutes then.

"_When we had finally arrived on the island, my eyes were distracted at every second as they soaked up image after image of tropical life like a sea sponge. The crew and I dragged up the exploration boat onto the land and tied it up on a nearby rock. The breeze hit us softly, like a whisper, and I smelled the fresh salt air. The occasional cry of a bird or ape aroused our attention. Above me, not a cloud was in the sky. Below me, me feet were submerged in silky-feeling Sandy- err… Sand!_"

Maxwell's face burned after slipping up, even if nobody had seemed to notice. That's when it hit him.

'_Sandy! Sandy, Sandy, Sandy_!'

The young man could no longer stay in that classroom for his heart was called elsewhere. He gathered his things and threw them into his bag carelessly, scurrying out the door without making any sound.

Sandy had remained like a statue, not moving from her spot on the bench. Though she had sat there like a stray puppy, waiting for him; her eyes big, soft, and watery. A thin blanket of snow rested on her back while she stayed curled up. Her hands, from their shelter of Maxwell's coat, cradled her aching head. She sniffled again in vain. Sandy had cried so much for so long that a simple sniff was no longer the fix to her runny nose. The frigid wind didn't help, either.

Without thinking, she went to use an edge of the coat's sleeve, and when she brought her nose to it, a scent caught her attention. It was a light and tantalizing musk, a new smell, she realized. She liked it. She knew it was foolish to like something about someone she wasn't supposed to be fond of at the moment, but she still did.

The young woman also knew that boys wore cologne when they liked you. But not Maxwell. Maxwell put the stuff on all the time, most likely to be professional or sophisticated.

'_He could never like __me_…'

Sandy whimpered at this thought and set her head back down on her knees. She let her eyes droop, but not fully, for they still leaked her soul's despair that cold, somber night.

To Be Continued…?

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Now it's time for a special thanks to…

NightShroud- It was an honor that you stuck with this story and that you've been there from the start of it! You have no idea how much that meant to me. So, thank you very, very much for all the support and your very kind reviews! Reviews, especially ones like the ones I've gotten from everyone on this story, really make my day and yours are no different! It was a pleasure getting some new blood reading my stuff.

AwesomeWriter123- Another one who stayed through the whole story! Thank you very much for that dedication! It's readers and friends like you and NightShroud and all the rest that have been with me since the start that keep me going with all the support through even just reading. It was so nice of you to review, too! So thanks so much again!

ChargingForwardBlind- Ah, CFB! Another adoring- adored- reader! It was such a nice surprise to see your feedback on this story! I didn't know if you were still interested in any of my work anymore since I haven't been posting or reviewing much. But yes! Another great example of true kindness and loyalty! You really have no idea how much is means to me that you and the others read this far- let alone reviewed! I owe you my sincerest thanks!

Macarov- More new blood! And I like it! You may not have said anything until the latest chapter, but it doesn't matter because your comments simply made me happy and proud to write. Yeah, I'm not a fan of ham-human fics myself, but sometimes I just have that urge. Haha. So, it's also very nice to see that we share some things in common! Thank you not only for reading and reviewing so kindly, but for your alert. Thank you for supporting me and my work!

sandyandmaxwellfanatic- Now for sandymaxfan… (giggles) I like that name! (Hope you don't mind me shortening it! Haha.) But, more than that I like that fact that you enjoyed my work! It means so much that people even read, but it simply made me giddy that you favorited this story! Your support through that and your sweet review and your dedicated reading are the things that keep me going. I really enjoy writing for everyone, and it's such a pleasure to see that at least some people like you enjoy reading! Thank you very much!!

And one last thank you to all of my readers! You all are the blood that keeps my work flowing (slow but sure) and without seeing that activity, I'd be lost. It doesn't matter that you don't say anything. Sometimes it's really hard to share your opinions! But, just the fact that you are out there, staying with me, is enough. So, I thank everyone very kindly! I feel so honored to actually have finished a fic! It's been such a long time since I've done so and I'm very excited to be giving this chapter to all of you! I really hope you enjoyed it!! Keep on reading! Thanks again and Happy Holidays!

Much love,

DolphinSweetheart 16


	5. Part Five

Disclaimer: I do not own Hamtaro. And since I didn't get the rights for it for Christmas, I guess I'll just have to try again on Easter so that I can stop having to write this every time. Haha!

Author's Note: HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone!! So, here it is! The final part! I really hope you like it! It's just so exciting to get this story finished up with and for the new year to come and I really hope that I can end everyone's 2008 in a good way! Sandyandmaxwellfanatic (not just a fellow writer, but a fellow contact- wearer XD) had a really nice suggestion that I'd like to address in this note right now. Thing with the extension, I don't want this to be long and drawn out, but I may consider doing one tiny side story with another couple. I already toyed with the idea after you suggested it. (That's why I left the ending a bit open.) I just don't want this to become a second Salute Your Shorts!. So… if you guys think that her idea is a good one as well and would like me to whip a little something up for you, please PM me or say so in a review! I have a poll set up for the choice of couples if you'd rather do that! Anyway, I really hope you all enjoy reading this possibly final installment! This one's for you, all! Totally dedicated! Thank you so much again for supporting me and being so kind!! You're all wonderful! And I mean that! ^^

AN Jr.: Oh! And I have to put some final thank yous in for SimplySarah1221 and lupyne. Thank you very much SS1221 for you very kind and witty review! I have to admit, that really made my day! Haha. So, thank you very much for reading and for sharing your opinion of my story! You're so kind! Thanks for all the sweet feedback! And, as for you, lupyne, it was such a wonderful surprise to see you back and reading my stuff! You have no idea how perfect that made the last day of my year seeing that you liked it so much to even favorite it! You always have the nicest things to say to me… I don't think I deserve it, but thank you so, so much for always being there to put in your two cents and for making those comments so kind! You're the best!

Chapter Five: Part Five- The End of The Night

**-**

She would wait there on that dirty, cold street corner for the rest of her life to show Maxwell that she cared. She would remain in that very same place until he noticed this. Sandy vowed that she wouldn't budge for as long as it took- for an eternity, even. She could die on that bench and not care because she was doing it for the one she loved.

Luckily, Sandy didn't have very long of a wait. She could sense someone towering over her beside the bench but never once looked up until they spoke.

"Sandy… Why are you still here?" Maxwell asked gently, huffing and short of breath. It was a dumb question of him to ask because he figured the girl would have waited for him under these circumstances. She didn't give him an answer, but simply peered up at him in awe with raw eyes.

"Like… Y-you came back. Why… Why aren't you still at your class?"

"Because I couldn't focus on anything thinking about you possibly being out here. I… I bet you can imagine how crumby I felt just leaving you here…" He looked down slightly.

"But-" Sandy stood up and he held up a hand.

"Shush…" he soothed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I've done some thinking." Sandy stared at him dully. "I-I still don't know if we could be anything more than friends."

"Oh…" The strawberry blonde frowned, gazing at her feet.

"Now wait. Let me explain before you start getting all upset again," Maxwell said, lifting up her head and gazed at her thoughtfully with a moderately playful yet timid smile. "It's just… How am I supposed to follow my fortune if you're trying to follow yours?"

Sandy tilted her head to the side with the young man's thumb still under her chin.

"Huh?"

He took a step away from her and fished around in his pocket until he pulled out the tiny piece of paper. Unfolding it, Maxwell held it out for her to read. Sandy stretched her neck forward and squinted so that she could see the message.

'**A true friendship is often more important than a passionate romance.**'

Sandy's eyes welled up with tears that threatened to spill out as her heart sank ever lower. Maxwell was still, fighting the urge to snag her into a comforting hug.

"I only got this twice," he said in a serious tone. His friend stared blankly at him, sniffling and not knowing the relevance of what he'd just told her. "You got yours three times. That's the charm. You win." He ripped the paper in half and let it fall to the ground. "And I realized something."

Sandy couldn't believe what happened next as Maxwell tenderly scooped her into his arms and buried his face in her beautiful, wet locks.

"Merp." was all Sandy could croak. Maxwell took in a breath, smelling her hair. He smiled nervously and continued.

"I realized that… I shouldn't listen to the advice of a stupid fortune when my heart knew what I wanted all along. I care about you, Sandy. I always have," he whispered, moving his mouth down to kiss her brow. "No. Forget about that! Sandy, I love you!" he proclaimed and pecked her on the lips quickly with a look of both surprise and wonderment. She wrapped her arms around his neck and slowly laid her head on his chest.

It was almost like her fantasy. A freezing night where they could snuggle together and keep warm, perfectly dim stars in the cloudy sky, their faces cloaked in the bliss of a blush just as she had imagined them to be, all the emotion, and… the fact that they loved each other. _In real life_…

She retrieved the bit of paper in her pants pocket before gazing back up at Maxwell. They both looked deeply into each others eyes and, as if in a silent agreement, leaned in for one final, passionate kiss. She let go of the little thing in between her fingers, watching it from the corner of her opened eye as it fluttered away into the night, maybe for someone else to find and change their life like it had hers.

'**Love because it is the only true adventure.'**

**THE END.**


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